ORIOLES 
373 
Distribution. Eastern North America, more southern than the Baltimore, In Canada, 
local in southern Ontario and has been taken in southern Manitoba. 
507. Baltimore Oriole, hang-nest, golden robin, l’ortole de Baltimore. 
Icterus galbula. L, 8 00. Plate LXXIII A. Between a robin and sparrow in size. Male: 
a rich golden orange with black head, back, wings, and most of tail. Female: dull orange 
below and smooth shades of brown and dull olive above. 
Distinctions. Likely to be confused only with its nearby relative, Bullock’s Oriole, 
with which it may be associated in southern Alberta and adjacent parts of Saskatchewan. 
The adult male is easily distinguished from that species in having an all-black head and 
little or no white on the wings. The female is too like the female of Bullock’s to be readily 
separated from it, but, in general, is richer in coloration, usually more orange below, and 
with many dark centres to feathers of back, especially on crown. Juvenile males are much 
like females and various intermediate stages up to the adult spring plumage occur. 
Field Marks. Throughout the east and the Prairie Provinces, except in southern 
Alberta and adjacent Saskatchewan, this is the only oriole to be regularly expected. The 
bright flashing orange and black livery of the male is easily recognized. In above localities 
the all-black face is distinctive from Bullock’s Oriole. The 
female, larger than any other bird of similar coloration 
except Bullock’s Oriole and the tanagers, in its dull orange 
and green, is easily recognizable. It may not always be 
separable in life from the former except by geographical 
probability, but is easily distinguished from the latter by 
its general orange tone instead of plain dull green. The 
voices of the orioles are always distinctive; a rich contralto 
whistle with numerous musical themes. 
Nesting. The nest of the Baltimore Oriole is one of 
the avian curiosities. It is in the form of a bag woven of 
fibres, plant-down, hairs, and string, and hangs from the 
end of long, drooping branches. With her sharp, awl-like bill the female thrusts a fibre 
into the side of the nest, then reaching over to the inside pulls it through, tugging to make 
all tight and solid, another fibre is thrust in and the process repeated until when complete 
the nest is so knitted, woven, and felted together that though tossed at the end of long, 
flexible, whip-like branch tips through summer and winter storms, it remains intact for 
several years. 
Distribution. Eastern North America. In Canada, west to the mountains and 
north to the central parts of the Prairie Provinces. A single specimen has been reported 
from Chilliwack, British Columbia. 
Figure 462 
Baltimore Oriole; scale, 
about f. 
Open country with scattered groves and occasional large isolated elms 
is the ideal habitat of the Baltimore Oriole. It obtains its name from 
its brilliant orange and black livery, the colours of Lord Baltimore, under 
whose patronage the state of Maryland was first settled and in whose 
honour the bird was named by the early settlers. 
Economic Status. The food of the oriole consists mostly of insects, 
including, in order of numbers, caterpillars, click-beetles, of which the 
pestilent wire worms are the larvie, May beetles, and grasshoppers. Very 
few predaceous beetles are taken. The amount of vegetable matter is 
small. This species, therefore, ranks very high as an insect destroyer. 
Complaints are sometimes made that the oriole spoils fruit, and it has 
been accused of puncturing grapes for the juice. Though the Baltimore 
Oriole cannot be altogether exonerated from these charges, they are very 
easily exaggerated, and are of little import over most of Canada. The 
good the bird can do is great, and the harm occasional and slight, except 
under local and particular conditions. 
508. Bullock’s Oriole, l’oriole a ailes blanches. Icterus bulloeki. L, 8*25. 
Plate LXXIII B. Between a robin anti a sparrow in size, averaging a little larger than 
the Baltimore Oriole. Male: a rich golden orange with elongated black bib, crown, line 
through eye, back, wings, and most of tail. Female: dull orange, or warm yellowish to 
white below, and smooth dull olive above. 
